DOI: 10.1111/ppa.70217 ISSN: 0032-0862
New and Old Players in the Viral Disease Complex of Legume Crops in Poland
Julia Minicka, Martyna Szkatulska, Beata Komorowska, Beata Hasiów‐Jaroszewska ABSTRACT
Viruses in legume crops constitute one of the main biotic stresses affecting their production worldwide. Currently, more than 160 viruses are known to infect legumes, with most being transmitted by aphids. Moreover, these viruses often occur in mixed infections, the epidemiological significance of which is poorly understood. In this study, monitoring of legume crops in Poland was carried out in 2020, 2023 and 2024 growing seasons. Over 100 plants, with varying disease symptoms, were collected from various locations. From the collected plants, 12 pooled samples were selected for RNAseq, comprising 10 pea (
Pisum sativum
) samples, one faba bean (
Vicia faba
var.
minor
) sample and one lupin (
Lupinus albus
) sample. We detected the presence of numerous viruses in mixed infections in these Polish legumes. Moreover, in samples from
P. sativum
and
V. faba
var.
minor
collected in 2024, we detected the presence of pea necrotic yellow dwarf virus (PNYDV) and clover yellow vein virus (ClYVV), posing a threat to legume cultivation in Europe. The results of the phylogenetic analysis revealed that the two Polish isolates of PNYDV were diverse and grouped with the isolates from the Czech Republic, Austria and Denmark. Moreover, we also observed the widespread presence of pea enation mosaic virus 1 (PEMV1), pea enation mosaic virus 2 (PEMV2) and pea seed‐borne mosaic virus (PSbMV) in the majority of tested samples. These results suggest that the spread of viruses, primarily transmitted by aphids, could have far‐reaching consequences for food production and ecosystem functioning.